The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-20
THE PREVALENT FEVER.
Its Treatment at the City Hospital-The
Question of Water and Its Relation to 1t.


Ten of the ore hundred patients in the City
Hospital have typical typhoid fever Three
of the number are females. One is con-
valescent and several have been discharged
cured. They are coming in" said Superin-
tendent Oliver, Eat the rate of about one day.
All are from north of Washington street most
of them from north and east of the Circle DR..
Guido Bell sent one in to-day from East street
None have died except Miss Goodeve, of the
training school. Five of the nurses had typhoid.
but all ara well new and none are rooming at
the hospital. Only one patient-Mrs Cromwell
has come down with the fever while in the
hospital. None of our thirty internes, nurses
or employees, have had it. Our sanitary sur
roundings are OF the best and we do not breed
typhoid here"
What is your treatment in the hospitalm was
asked of DR.. Oliver
well that varies with the case. Each
is treated it's merits; no one is made a
rule for another. We first feed them all we'll
an average of twenty-tonr ounces of pure milk
aday, with stimpiants. if required. They are
as to regularity. We keep the wards thorough
ly ventilated and disnfected. We cover all the
discharges with a strong bichloride of mercury
solution. The patients often cooled by
sponging They all have ice hanging in a glass
by the bed, so they reach little Jumps and
have cool water. High fevers ar. controlled
by quinine and antipyrine, but on the
whole, little medicine is given. We do not
recognize typhoid as fever that be broken
up or headed off like malaria it takes its time.
and all our care is by proper treatment to sup
port the patient in his battle with it. and make
him comfortable, and prevent others getting it.
The pulse temperature Is hourly recorded for
each patient, and we have complete history
of them from their entrance to their exit"
DR.. w. b. Fletcher lectured TO the college
classes at the hospital on Typhoid. having two
cases brought before the class. He regarded
the two cases presented typho malarial fever.
de did not think there was any more typhoid in
the city than common: did not think the drough
had anything to do with it; thought the water
from the surface wells just good as any to
from the milk the people than from the
water. He said the Indians. who lived out
doors. used no milk or hydrant water.
had neither scarlet fever. diphtheria nor typhoid.
He would not give fever patients food they did
net want; would sponge them often. give little
medicine, as the kinds he had tried had as little
effect picked moonshine in typhoid; would
feed them oysters and meat extracts. Typhoid,
he said. was disease of adults-at least. very
rare in children, and the doctors who had fifteen
to thirty cases of typhoid in all ages from en-
bryos to adolescence do not recognize or know
true typhoid as it could be shown in the dead
house and on the walls of the aliruenrary canal
Dr.. Brayton was asked what he thought of
the water supply related to typhoid, and
the disease unless it contained the typhoid
germs. But whether it is due to a specific vege-
taoe growth or NOT there Is no positive proof
It seems localized in the city: there cases
reported from the clay uplauds of the eastern
part of the city. Budd and Burden Sanderson
have taught that this fever is due to specific
infection contaeion passed from the bowels
of those having it, and by water or air conveyed
into the bodies of others. This is the current
opinion of it's prop sgatou. Probably all kinds
Of foulness p-omote typhoid. Bull
has shown that in Munich the level
of the ground water affects typhoid; it increases
the water falls and decreases the water
rises. AS the water sinks in wells more mud is
pumped up, and the wells have wider area of
drainage. thus collecting more germs. Doctor
Bravton said that ne had an attack of typhoid
lasting three months, with relapses, which was
doubtless induced by cadaveric poisoning in tox
Geological examinations.